The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1887-08-23


such things in stories, but after fifteen
minutes spent in fruitless endeavor, /
mentally abjure all belief in plans of
action as set down in novels. Then l
think of breaking a pane, opening the
fastener. and getting in in that way;
but after several feeble attempts give
it up; find can't break window in
cold blood; my bump of destructive
ness, l suppose, is not large enough.
look wistfully into the warm, bril-
liantly illuminated room; L begin to
feel very much like poor little home
less orphan standing out there in the
cold and dark. and am so chilled and
disheartened that it would not take
much to bring the tears to my eyes.
The thought of going to one OF the
neighbOrs comes to me, but | reject it
Immediately; our next-doOr neighbOr
on the right is an old curmudgeon of a
man, against whom / have a grudge
ever since heard him say in my pres
ence, and, presumably, for my benefit,
that ''girls should stay at home and
darn the stockings, and not be always
flying off to the skating-rink and the
dance" Besides, should not like to
leave the house so brightly lit up and
with that hot fire in the sitting-room;
SO sit down on the porch again. wrap
my shawl closer around me and make
up nay mind that I'll have to sit there,
like Patience on a monument" till
papa comes home.
But as sit there adaring idea comes
into my head and shapes itself into a
plan. rise once more and 60 softly
into the backyard and up to the fence
thatseparates our place from Mr.. Grim
shaw's. | reach my hand over, it is a
pale-fence and not very high, and. as |
expected, my fingers touch what | am
seeking ladder, nicely hung up out
of the dirt on pegs driven into the fence.
L remember having seen him hang it
there in the fall, and | think with glee
how angry he would be if he knew that
/ was going to use one of his precious
possessions.
/ tug and lift, and after some strug-
giles with wire clothes-lines, ash-bar-
rels and few other articles of back
yard furniture, 1 drag it as quietly as L
can to the side-yard and lean it against
the house. 1t just reaches nicely to the
second-story window, and after max
ing sure that it is firm, L essay to
mount it. There is not much danger
of any one seeing me, as it is dark
night, with only few stars twinkling
here and there in the sky; so up l go,
and am just about to raise the window,
when
What are you doing there? Come
down instantly or I'll fire."
Horror of hOrrorsi From earliest
infancy l have had an uncomfortable
fear of unloaded firearms; and now to
be mistaken for burglar and covered
by loaded pistol in the hands of a
determined and perhaps rash man,
almost set my hair on end with terror.
''Oh" | gasp, 81 am not robber.
Don't shoot; can't you see I'm girl?"
Then the thought of that smooth bar
rel, perhaps still pointing at me, over
comes ME quite. Put it down! Put
it DOWN. / scream. Turn it away!"
And dance in perfect agony of fear on
the rung of the ladder.
"By George, it's woman. What in
the world are you doing up there?"
"Have you put it away?" return,
tremblingly.
81 will now" | did not pay much
heed to his tone or might have de-
tected some laughter in it draw a
breath of relief.
'.Tm awfully afraid of pistols, - 1 say.
rather needlessly.
"But why are you up that ladder at
this time of the night?''
81 was locked out and couldn't get
in any other way. Who are you?" 1
am trying to pierce the gloom, but am
able to distinguish only the dark out
line of mans figure standing at the
bottom of the ladder.
'.My name is James Warren. Mr..
Moore, your father, presume, re-
quested me to call at his house on a
matter of business. l happened to
glance into the yard as l passed, and.
seeing adark form mounting up toward
the second story of the house, 1 natur-
ally mistook it for burglar. Ihumbly
beg your pardon for disturbing you.
Cam assist you in any wayP"
81 don't see how; once / am through
the window. 1 will be all right"
"Then permit me to say good even
ing. will call on your father another
time. l must again ask your forgive
ness for causing you such a fright"
oh! don't go; papa will be home
soon. Just wait minute and I'll open
the front door" Secure in the dark
ness, / boldly swing myself in through
the window and once more have a roof